Only two countries in the world ban discrimination based on sexual orientation via their constitutions South Africa and Fiji. But all is not well in Fiji.

Right-wing political forces and conservative church groups have convinced the government to alter the new constitution to ensure that the gay protections do not lead to legalization of gay sex or gay marriage.

Unless strong pressure comes from abroad, Parliament's Committee on Consequential Legislation is expected to override the constitutional protections (which are in Section 28 of the Bill of Rights) with a new homophobic amendment.

It will "remove any doubts and fears about same-sex marriages and unnatural offenses being allowed," said Attorney General Ratu Etuate Tavai.

Send a copy to Fiji Women's Crisis Centre, 88 Gordon Street, P.O. Box 12882, Suva, Fiji. E-mail fwcc@is.com.fj

INDIAN GAYS BANNED FROM PARK

Police in Lucknow, India, have taken a unique approach to the matter of gay men having sex in public parks They banned gays from cruisy GPO Park altogether, local newspapers reported Dec. 30.

"Police will not allow male couples into the park if they know they are gays," spokesman R.S. Tomar told reporters. "Policemen will ask them if they are gay. If they hold hands or are demonstrative about their affection, we'll suspect them of being gay."

State prosecutor S.K. Saluja said the local approach violates human-rights laws but Tomar said, "The rights of others are as important as those of the gays."

A spokesman for a Bombay gay group said the organization hopes to stage a demonstration and sit-in at the park. Lucknow is the capital of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

GAYS ORGANIZE IN SAN LUIS POTOSI

The first-ever gay group has come into existence in the city of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, 258 miles north of Mexico City in the state of the same name.

Fourteen people gathered at Sheik Disco Bar in late November to hear a talk by Tijuana gay leader Alejandro Garcia. By the end of the evening, they had formed an association and named Jorge Ivone their interim coordinator.

A board of directors will be selected once group members get to know each other better, they decided.

"The gay/lesbian community of San Luis Potosi now has grown enough to begin to be aware that they are a community," said Garcia.

CAPE TOWN COURTS PINK MONEY

Cape Town, South Africa, wants your gay money.

"Cape Town is the gay capital of Africa and we hope that some day it will become the gay capital of the world," says Sheryl Ozinsky, manager of Cape Town Tourism.

"We are going all out to attract the pink rand to Cape Town. We believe it not only has economic benefits, but gay people also make an exciting and refreshing contribution to the city at large."

The tourism agency has published an official gay map showing gay bars, accommodations, massage parlors, retail outlets and the rest.

JAMAICAN GAY GROUP FACES 'FEROCIOUS OPPOSITION'

The new Jamaica Forum of Lesbians, All-Sexuals, and Gays (J-FLAG) is "facing ferocious opposition from all quarters in this deeply Christian-religious country," says spokesman Thomas Glave.

"Several homophobic remarks have appeared about us in the local Jamaican press, and have been aired over the radio -- although we have also witnessed some local positive attitudes and occasional support," Glave said Dec. 29.

J-FLAG is asking foreign activists to fax and e-mail letters supporting the group to the country's three main newspapers.

Glave requests that his name not be used in the letters.

The papers are The Gleaner (fax 011-876-922-6223, e-mail feedback@jamaica-gleaner.com), The Sunday Herald (011-876-937- 7314, sunherald@cwjamaica.com), and The Daily Observer (011-876-931-5190, editorial@jamaicaobserver.com).

Send a copy to TGlave@hotmail.com and JFlag@hotmail.com The group's homepage is at http://village.fortunecity.com/garland/704/ According to the Web page, "'All-Sexual' is a term used in the Caribbean Forum of Lesbians, All-Sexuals & Gays (C-FLAG) network to indicate that it considers all-sexual behaviour to be part of a sexual continuum in which classifications such as 'gay', 'lesbian' and 'bisexual' often cannot be rigidly applied."

Meanwhile, on Dec. 30, the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association denounced what it called Jamaica's escalating anti-gay atmosphere.

"The International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association strongly condemns Jamaican authorities for failing to ensure the safety, welfare and comfort of gays and lesbians living on and visiting the island nation," said Executive Director Agustin Merlo. "The nation appears to be a leader in the region's emerging homophobia that has already shown its ugly face in the Cayman Islands and Costa Rica. That is a tragedy. "If Jamaica is unwilling or unprepared to welcome gay and lesbian tourists to their shores, then IGLTA is prepared to warn all of our member companies and associations that our tourist dollars are no longer welcome in that country," Merlo said.

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Rex Wockner's weekly "International News" is archived at http://www.qrd.org/qrd/www/world/wockner.html, which also archives Wockner's "Quote Unquote" column and some of his longer gay-press articles.

To do a KEYWORD SEARCH of Wockner's archives, go to www.dejanews.com, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click on 'power search,' enter keywords in the search window (for example Wockner gay marriage Sweden), scroll down and set the dates to search from May 1 1995 to today, then click 'find.'

Archives of Microsoft Sidewalk's "The Wockner List" are at http://sandiego.sidewalk.com/wockner

A profile of Wockner is at http://www.wired.com/news/news/culture/story/14229.html

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